Weeks passed after the incident at The Leaky Cauldron, and were considered taboo talk in the Potter home, especially around Jenni. And, instead of focusing on that day, she chose to concentrate on other things, for example: Hogwarts. The excitement for Hogwarts in the Potter household was bouncing off the walls. James and Jenni could be any more thrilled to go to the school than Harry or Ginny reflecting on their favorite memories associated with the school. Jenni would pack and unpack her trunk five times a day just to be sure she had everything she could possibly need; clothes, books, money, her wand, and anything else she deemed necessary. And today, August 31st, was when she was particularly keen about her packing, and found herself in her room packing for the sixth time.
She thought about all the classes she'd be taking and wondering what he professors will look like, or sound like. However, one thought loomed over all others. And, no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, she always had the memory of the Diagon Alley incident imprinted in her mind. What stuck was her fear she felt when the spell was casted in her direction, and her constant thoughts later that night about why the man was after her, and what would happen to her if she was ever in the man's possession. But she knew Harry, Ginny, James, and the entire Potter-Weasley clan would never allow that to happen to her. Her thoughts disappeared once Lily walked into her room with something behind her back.
"Hi Lily. What's up? What do you have behind your back? Is it sweets again?" Jenni asked her suspiciously.
"Nope! It's a bye-bye present I made for you," Lily said with a giggle, "I made it for you since you're leaving tomorrow.
Jenni was at a loss for what to say to he little girl and quickly replied, "Oh, um okay. Let's see what it is then." Lily handed her a small wrapped gift. Jenni opened it and gave a gasp of surprise.
"Oh, Lily. I love it!" Jenni said. The wrapped gift was a framed photograph of Jenni and the Potters that was taken the day of her birthday. In the photo is a snippet of the Potter family in a nutshell. Lily is standing in the front with a beaming smile, naïve about what's going on behind her. James is poking Albus constantly in the arm, who is in return giving him a glare closely similar to one like his mother's. Meanwhile, Jenni is laughing hysterically, and Harry can't help but chuckle at the scene in front of him, whereas Ginny is trying to stop James from annoying his brother and to look at the camera, which doesn't happen.
Jenni looks up at Lily from the photo and hugs her. "Lily," she said, "this is probably one of the sweetest and funniest gifts I've ever received." Lily smiles broadly at Jenni's compliment.
"I was thinking you could pack it for when you leave for Hogwarts. That way, whenever you miss us you can look at this picture," Lily said shyly as they pulled apart.
Jenni looks at Lily with a sincere smile and gives her another hug and says, "I will."
Later that night, as Jenni packs for the final time James comes into her room, "Are you ready for tomorrow?" Jenni shakes her head in reply.
"Me either," he comments.
"You and Fred better sit with me on the train," Jenni says with a false threaten.
"Duh!" James says looking at her incredulously, "I need my best friends next to me, or else who will bother putting up with my jokes and sarcasm?"
"Hmmm…Brendan?" Jenni jokes with a smirk.
"Oh gosh! No! I couldn't handle being stuck in the same room with your husband! That would be too weird," James says dramatically, earning a long, hard frown from Jenni.
"Quit calling him my 'husband'! And that's good advice to follow because I may not be too nice when I learn spells that could cause some serious damage to that face of yours," she said seriously.
"Okay, alright. Consider it dropped," James said pretending to wave a flag.
"So, which house do you want to be in?" Jenni said wanting to change to subject.
And so, the two sat on Jenni's bedroom floor discussing anything and everything they're both most excited and anxious about. From the train ride there, to the professors, and to the Giant Squid, the two eleven year olds covered almost everything imaginable until they started yawning nonstop. They decided they could finish talking on the train, and bid each other good night.
The car ride to the train station seemed never ending until they arrived. Muggles were giving the family odd looks considering the caged animals, trunks, and trolleys, but the Potter and Jenni didn't pay them any attention, they only focused on one thing – Platform 9 ¾.
"Alright, so Teddy said he was going to meet us by the train, so lets hurry to put James and Jenni's stuff on the train and find him," Ginny said hurrying everyone.
Once they all passed through the wall, Ginny, Lily, and Albus began searching for bright turquoise hair while Harry helped James and Jenni
Place their trunks on the train and walked back to find Ginny, Albus, and Lily talking to Teddy.
"Hey!" Teddy shouted to Harry, Jenni, and James as they walked up, "you two are going to have a great time!"
"Well I have to tell you we're expecting a lot from Hogwarts," Replied James, "considering all that we've heard about it." Jenni nodded in agreement.
"Oh, don't worry. Everyone who's told you anything about amazing things at Hogwarts is telling it how it is," Teddy said.
And, just as he was about to start another comment, a loud voiced boomed over all the station's noise, "OI! POTTER! YOU BETTER HAVE MY PUKING PASTIES!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and sees Fred Weasley grinning ear to ear as he walks towards the group. Following behind him are his father, mother, and sister laughing.
"Only as long as you give me my punching telescope!" James shouted back at his cousin. The two families greeted each other with hugs and hellos.
The five-minute warning whistle from the train created chaotic good-byes for everyone. James gave his family a hug, and Jenni gave Teddy a hug. Fred hugged his parents and sister, Roxanne, good-bye. And, once the trio finished with their farewells they got onto the train and went to their compartment to wave final good-byes to their family.
When the train left the station a rounded to corner to where the station was out of sight they sat down. Jenni sat on one side, while Fred and James sat opposite from her. Jenni took Charmin out of her cage to roam around and pulled out a book to read. Meanwhile, the boys started to talk about the different pranks they plan to pull, when they'd pull them, and on whom. About an hour and a half later, the compartment door opened and in came a girl with fair skin, hazel eyes, and dirty blonde hair.
"Hi…umm do you mind if I sit here? There's no more room in any of the others," she said quietly.
Before James or Fred could respond, Jenni said kindly, "Of course we don't mind. Come in, sit." The girl sat awkwardly next to Jenni. James and Fred stared at the newcomer,
"So," Jenni said breaking the awkward silence, "what's your name?"
"Melanie McLaggen," she replied.
"McLaggen?" Fred and James asked in unison.
"Uh, yeah. That's what I just said," Melanie responded. The boys only nodded, looking at each other.
"So Melanie, are you going into your first year?" Jenni questioned.
"Yes, I am. I'm really excited," she said with a smile.
"So are we!" Jenni said enthusiastically, "oh! I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, my name is Jenni Palmer." Melanie's eyes widened and got bigger as the introductions continued.
"James Potter."
"Fred Weasley."
"Whoa. You're parents are like, famous," she said to the boys, "and yours are…well…"
Jenni knew where this was leading, so she finished Melanie's unfinished sentence, "Dead. Yes, I'm well aware of that." She knew her tone was harsher than it should be, and she saw James and Fred give each other uncomfortable looks, and Melanie look guilty for having brought up the topic.
Jenni looked down at her lap and saw that Charmin fell asleep, so she stroked the sleeping cat. After a long, quiet ten minutes Melanie spoke up, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I say half the time until the words fall out." Jenni looked at the apologetic girl next to her.
"I understand. And I'm sorry for my tone, I didn't mean to snap at you," Jenni said apologetically.
The train ride seemed to take forever, but the four kids did what they could keep themselves busy. Whether it be sleeping, talking, playing exploding snap, or eating when the food trolley came. Victoire Weasley - James and Fred's oldest cousin, and Head Girl – came into the compartment to check up on them and to tell them they'd be arriving shortly and to change into their uniforms. About a half hour later the Hogwarts Express came to a stop in Hogsmeade station and all the students filed out. Melanie spoke to the trio the two words everyone was thinking, "We're here."